One of the newest knives to the Buck 2012 line is the Ron Hood designed Punk. A smaller version of the Hoodlum, the Punk is the everyman’s sized utility, camping or survival fixed blade. The finger choil at the rear of the blade is perfect for choking up on when doing delicate or fine detail work. The Micarta scales are removable which allow for this knife to be tied to a stick or similar, transforming it into a spear. Top quality materials and an awesome warranty from Buck, the Punk designed by the late Ron Hood is great tool for every outdoorsman. You can see this at www.knifecenter.com. Continue Reading →

Okay, it probably didn’t happen like that. But United Cutlery has put out a new sawback kukri machete that is, pardon my French, pretty darn cool. At 21″ overall, it’s portable enough to bring on most any outdoor activity, and its robust 14-3/4″ full-tang blade is up to whatever task you can throw at it. Even better, it’s got sawback serrations to make nice clean cuts whether you’re building a survival shelter or just cutting that tree limb in the front yard down to size. It ships with a lanyard and a durable nylon sheath. Available in gray or yellow. Check ’em out at www.knifecenter.com !

Russ Kommer is a hunting guide in Alaska, and his designs reflect the hard-use conditions of his home state. The new Timberline Bush Guide Hatchet and Skinner set features thick spines, and wear resistant materials. These are tools that could be taken out into the frozen Alaskan wilderness on a hunting trip, used to field dress the kill, and then taken back out the next week for camping in the deserts of Arizona. The hatchet can be used for cleaving bones or chopping firewood. The skinning knife could be used for skinning an elk, or slicing a steak for dinner.

Whether you are hunting elk in Colorado or on a survival exercise in Death Valley, California, you can’t go wrong with Timberline’s Hatchet and Skinner Combo set.

The Dajo Survivor knife is a full, if minimalist, survival kit at a great price. The sharp, wide blade can be used for everything from shaving a branch for tinder to skinning caught animals for food. The notch on the back of the blade is designed to be used as a striker for the Swedish FireSteel that is included, and the cutouts in the handle are designed to allow for the blade to be used as the head of a spear, while at the same time lowering how much weight the kit ads to your pack. Rounding off the kit is the survival whistle, which can be used in an emergency to draw search teams to your location without using up your voice and energy.

The RD-6 and AfghanBush Signature fixed blade series from Ontario features styles similar to the Ontario Ranger Bush series with one important difference: The blades are extra thick. These blades are 0.375″ thick S7 steel, making them quite a bit heavier than your typical knife. However, the thickness of the blade makes these great for unusual jobs. These are great for everyday camp jobs, such as splitting firewood, and they also make a great emergency axe or hammer in a pinch, while still performing ably as heavy duty knives.